Method of making coated wire fabric



June 9, 1942. H. L. EDICK ETAL 2,286,073

METHOD OF MAKING COATED WIRE FABRIC Filed D80. 16, 1938 5 mm]. Wxre, :Die L/ om Gulvzjxizing Bzflh VarnishAppHml 3 ext EHQMZW L. 5 @Bw a here, 53*.

Patented June 9, 1942 2,286,073 METH OD OF MAKING COATED WIRE FABRIC Harry L. Edick and Chester F. Wickwire, Cortland, N. Y., assignors to Wickwire Brothers, Cortland, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 16, 1938, Serial No. 246,216

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a method of making coated metallic fabric of the type commonly known as wire screen cloth.

The desirability of producing durable wire screen cloth having a colored varnish coating has long been recognized, but all prior art attempts at producing such a cloth have been unsuccessful because varnish cannot be made to produce a suitable coating, either on electro-galvanized or hot galvanized cloth.

We have found that by placing a galvanizing coating on an oversized wire, and then drawing the wire to reduce its diameter and give it a burnished surface, before applying the varnish coating, a wire of pleasing appearance and suitable durability may be obtained. Not only will the coating be durable and the wire core be protected by its zinc coating, but the varnish may be colored or dyed to produce harmonizing color combinations as desired.

The main object of this invention is, therefore, to produce a new type of wire screen fabric to simulate difier'ent types of finish. and yet be of pleasing appearance, and good durability.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the description and the drawing which is given by way of illustration.

In the drawing, there is shown diagrammatically the various steps of manufacturing wire screen cloth according to the present invention.

The parts illustrated are by way of example only and are not intended to be limiting, since the various steps may be performed by well known standard apparatus within the scope of the invention.

Reference character I designates a wire of the type generally employed in making galvanized wire screen cloth and usually consisting of steel. This wire is drawn over guide rollers 2 where it passes through a bath 3 in which the wire is provided with a zinc coating by any well known process, such as electro-deposition. This coating is made heavy on an oversize wire, that is, of a diameter greater than that which it is to have in the finished cloth. The galvanized wire after it leaves the bath is passed through a drawing die 4 of conventional form which reduces the diameter of the wire and changes the galvanized coating from a matte form to burnished form.

The wire of reduced diameter passes from the die to a loom 5 where it is woven into screen cloth I of the desired construction and then passes over guide rollers 6 into a chamber 8 or other apparatus, where a coating of varnish is applied to the cloth in any usual manner. The varnished cloth then passes around guide roller 9 as it leaves cham er 8 and is wound one take-up reel I0.

It is to be understood that the galvanizing bath 3 may coat the wire either by electro-deposition or it may be a hot galvanizing bath, or any equivalent galvanizing means known and used in the art. In similar manner, the loom 5 may be any conventional type of wire loom and, hence, the details are not illustrated herein. The application of the varnish may be carried out by spraying, dipping, by coated where or any other means capable of use in this art, and no particular limitation is intended to be implied by the illustration made herein.

Wire screen cloth made according to the present invention carries a beautiful finish which may be made to resemble solid bronze or any other finish, and it is very durable inasmuch as the coating of galvanizing protects the wire core from tarnishing and oxidation. By this method, uniform and durable adherence is obtained between the varnish and the galvanized coating. Although, it is known in the prior art to apply varnish to galvanized wire, it cannot be made to produce satisfactory appearance, no matter how the galvanizing is applied, that is, be it electrodeposited or hot dipped. However, by the particular sequence of steps which we employ, the wire core is protected against oxidation, the varnish coating produces a strong and durable finish on the zinc, and the product may be made to simulate various types of finish by changing the coloring or dyeing ingredient which is incorporated in the varnish. The result obtained by this combination is due to light reflected from the burnished surface of the galvanized wire through the colored varnish. Commercial practice has demonstrated that a pleasing appearance cannot be obtained by other known methods.

While it is not contended that the product of the present invention, when simulating bronze wire, has the durability of solid bronze wire, it does have a very similar appearance, is very durable, and may be sold for a fraction of the cost of the bronze.

Although we have shown and described only one form of apparatus for carrying out the steps of the present invention, it will be understood that the use of equivalents well known in the art is contemplated within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

The method of making a coated open mesh wirescreen fabric finished to simulate solid wire fabrics which method consists in galvanizing steel wire to make it oversize, drawing the galvanized wire to reduce its diameter and produce a burnished light reflecting surface, forming the wire into fabric, and then applying to said fabric a varnish coating colored to correspond to the color of the metal to be simulated and serving to protect the light reflecting surface against oxidation and leaving said surface visible by light reflected through said coating.

HARRY L. EDICK. CHESTER F. WICKWIRE. 

